Waveland was built around 1845
on land originally owned by Daniel BoonePhotograph by Eric Thomason, courtesy of the Blue Grass
Trust for Historic Preservation, Lexington, Kentucky

Waveland is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival
architecture in Kentucky. The home sits atop a small knoll surrounded
by 200 acres of Bluegrass farmland. Joseph Bryan constructed Waveland
in 1845 on a 2,000-acre tract of land "laid off" by his uncle
and frontiersman, Daniel Boone. Washington Allen, a leading Lexington
contractor of the day, was hired as builder and foreman of the
project. Later members of the Bryan family made Waveland famous
for its magnificent trotting horses.

The home contains 14 high-ceilinged rooms and spacious hallways.
A monumental pedimented Ionic portico graces the fašade. The main
doorway is topped by a frieze which is a copy of the north entrance
to the Erechtheum on the Anthenian Acropolis. The frieze is supported
by pilasters and engaged Ionic columns. The facade is framed by
brick pilasters and topped by a deep denticulated cornice.

Many outbuildings are still located on the property including
servants quarters, carpenter's shop, harnessmaker and cobbler's
shop, fireplace kitchen, print shop, country store, blacksmith's
shop, a log house, and ice house. The grounds of Waveland feature
an herb garden, flower garden, and orchard. The Commonwealth of
Kentucky purchased the property in 1956 for use as an experimental
farm and the following year Waveland was designated the Kentucky
Life Museum. The Museum, which includes historic Waveland and
its dependencies, was created for the collection, preservation,
and display of Kentucky relics, artifacts and objects that have
had some bearing upon the way in which Kentuckians have lived
through the years.

Waveland is located at 225 Waveland Museum Ln. off of US 27
(Nicholasville Rd.) in rural Fayette County. Now the Kentucky
Life Museum, the home is open for guided tours year-round, Monday-Friday
from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and Sundays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. For
more information please call 859-272-3611.